000 Infection
by Aerokuma Takaiya
Summary: I started watching Highschool of the Dead about a year ago and instantly fell in love. Now you'll get to follow my OC, Saike Ichiro, in his journey of dealing with Them. I hope you enjoy reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it. :
1. Chapter 1

Yurabashi Sector  
>1200051294120034<br>+000 Z-Day  
>12:03 a.m.<p>

You ever get that feeling that everything's just going perfect? Yeah… Me either. Koyuki just text me saying it's over and now while my entire high school's out celebrating, I'm stuck at home, throwing a tennis ball at the wall because I'm too embarrassed to even see somebody who might recognize my face. But I should have known it was coming. She was way into that Kudo guy anyways… Should've known it'd only be a matter of time before she left me for him. They would talk all the time, even while I was around, it didn't matter to him. He had no morals; and neither did Koyuki. Guess that makes them the perfect couple.

"I need some air…" I tell myself though my body doesn't respond for a good ten seconds. A quick walk over to the sliding door I just got fixed is made torture by my sleeping legs. I breathe in the smell of gas and fumes of a once-grand-now-left behind section of the city and realize just how lame my life really is. To make matters worse, no ones even text me to see what's wrong, why I'm not at the big party, or even a simple "where you at, bro?" from some of my closer buddies.

"What is it with the world these days…?" I ask myself. "What has this world come to?"

I plague myself with these questions constantly, and even though most health experts would just say I'm crazy, I seem to like the stress. It's ridiculously calming knowing I'm not the only screw up. This world is just falling apart. It's only a matter of time before…

The phone rings.

"What the…?" I look over at the phone. "Who the hell would call me this late…?"

I answer the phone without even checking the caller ID. "Hello?" My voice is strained as I haven't really had a regular conversation all day.

"Sai…Sai-S-S-Saike…Saike! Please come quick the…" the phone cuts out momentarily and the static makes communication impossible momentarily. Suddenly the phone comes back on, "…are everywhere! I don't know what to do! Saike please… this isn't a…" The phone cuts out for good. I lose connection. She's gone.

I'm sprinting like I used to when I ran track, back before I got caught up with the wrong kind of people who made breathing anything possible without coughing. My heart was pounding and I was chasing after a girl who, earlier today, had just dumped me via text message. Crazy right?

The place where they were having the party was someplace called Huyo's, close to the drug store where I always buy my soft drinks before school. I make it in record time thanks to the fact that there was zero traffic, which was weird even for a rundown district like this place, in the middle of the night, to have. I hear nothing at first from outside but the silence some stopped when I opened the door.

Blood. Everywhere.

On the walls. On the ceiling. It was horror movie magic in the making. I saw what looked like hundreds of my classmates, lying on the ground. Murdered.

"Those basterds…" I whispered to myself as I look around. I can hear a low-pitched moaning off in the distance from every direction.

"…Sai…ke… you… came…" I hear from my left. I dart of towards the voice and see koyuki laying there, missing an arm and covered in blood.

"Koyuki, what… what happened…?" I ask trying to sound calm as to not scare her. She opens her mouth and barely gets a word out.

"…Them…" She points over to a group of what look like more students except they're standing.

"They did this?" I suddenly feel a ridiculous amount of rage surmount into my chest. How could this happen…

"I'll kill them." I whisper to her as I start to see the life fade away from her eyes. "I'll kill all of them…"

Koyuki died.

The next moments are simply blurry visions of red and frantic screams of pain. When I finally come to, I'm standing in a pile of my recently deceased classmates. I look closer at them and I can the details now that my eyes have adjusted to the dim lighting. Their faces… Flesh was hanging off and their skin was bone dry. The looked like they had been infected with some type of rabies. Maybe that's what made them crazy.

I look around for any survivors, hoping someone could give me more details. No one was left alive. I guess that's why I was able to surprise those guys so easily. It was like they didn't even see me.

I walk out to the nearest payphone. I look around for change but instead I just call 911.

"911, what's your emergency?" the lady says on the other side.

"Hello? My name is Saike Ichiro. I go to Yurabashi High. My friends were at a party and I got a distress call from my girlfriend. I ran over here as fast as I could and now… Some group of crazy looking people murdered… all of them…"

"Where are ou right now? I'm call the ambulances and police to your location."

"I'm at the…" I look over at the street signs, "corner of 101st and Yazuka. Please hurry."

"They're on their way, sweetie. Do you want me to stay on the line?"

She doesn't get a reply to that.

"Hello? Saike?"

Still nothing.

"Mr. Ichiro?"

I'm running as fast as I can away from that site. If the police see me there, panting and covered in blood, they'll account me for everything. Even the people I really did kill.

+000 Z-Day  
>12:46 a.m.<p>

I finally get home. I'm covered in sweat and blood. A shower is the first thing that pops into my head but I can't; there isn't enough time. At Huyo's I didn't realize how dire the situation was, however on my way back, I got the full view.

Those things had taken over most of the Yurabashi sector in what seemed to minutes. As I ran, I witnessed countless neighbors get slaughtered, right inside their on own homes. The only thoughts on mind were get home and get out.

So the first part of my plan was complete.


	2. Chapter 2

Yurabashi Sector

1200051294120034

+000 Z-Day

12:48 a.m.

My heart was racing as I ran through the now empty streets of my once familiar city. I had no protection against them; the house was empty of guns or anything in that matter. Pacifist parents are not the ideal for an apocalyptic Japan. Thankfully, the monsters hadn't really made that much progress. However, I'm sure that won't last long, which is the weapon situation is so dire.

Suddenly something catches my eye that sparks a hint of hopefulness: An abandoned police car.

"There's gotta be a gun in there!" I yell as I slowly put my hand over my mouth realizing how necessary silence was. I walked up to the car cautiously, looking all around the car, behind, and even underneath. Fortunately, those creatures hadn't disturbed this blessing.

I prayed hard as I pulled on the car door handle and with an enormous amount of luck it opened without hesitation. I sighed and poked my head in slightly looking for something that would catch my attention. I searched around slightly and looked up at the driver's seat.

"Holy sh…" I grabbed my mouth and fell backwards out of the car and onto my ass. I took a double take and conformed what I thought I saw to be reality. The police officer, hands still on the wheel, was dead. His neck had a large chunk missing and his skin looked completely dried up like a raisin.

"Dear God…" I took in a deep breath and pulled myself back up into the car. I pushed the man over slightly, gagging at the smell and searched his holster for what I hoped to be gun.

"Nothing?" The holster was empty, "Who carries around an empty holster? That's just…"

There was breath. On my neck. Thick and raspy.

"Huuugh…" moaned the scariest voice I'd heard in a long while. My instinct kicked in and as I turned towards the undead cop, I grabbed his hands off the wheel, hit the handle on the door closest to it, and shoved it out of the vehicle. I was breathing hard and shaking slightly but it wasn't as bad as when I'd witnessed Koyuki's death. No… I was getting used to this.

"Huuughmmm!" yelled the monster from the ground, trying to pull itself up from the ground with much difficulty. Without even thinking, I grabbed where the ignition was supposed to be, turned the key, and drove off as fast as I could for a second.

"Wait…" I stopped the car quickly and switched gears into reverse. The gas pedal went down hard and the car went flying backwards, violently running over the now-dead police man.

"No hard feelings," I switched back to first gear and drove off towards the next section of the city, "But I made a promise…"

As I ripped through the streets I felt a sort of mixed feeling.

Freedom surged through my veins. A purpose was on my mind. I felt real, like I was meant for something now. Before, life just seemed to flash by: I was just living in a zombie-like state (no pun intended.) the whole time. But now… Now I was free to choose, to live, to survive and to do was I felt I was destined to do.

Zooming down the streets was invigorating and yet at the same time, should I feel like this? Should I be taking advantage of such a tragedy to feel so good? I guess it's inevitable. I've never been much of an opportunist but right now I was feeling pretty optimistic.

I slammed on the brakes as hard as I could and turned the vehicle, almost putting me on two wheels. The car slid around slightly and I was actually facing the road I'd just driven down. As I turned to take a double take and see if my eyes were playing tricks on me, I realized just how bad the situation was.

On my way out of town, I never thought I'd hit traffic but apparently there were others that had the same idea as me. I looked for a way around but the cars just seemed to go on for miles. Horns beeped and drivers cussed as the Yurabashi Sector slowed started to transform into downtown Kyoto.

"You gotta' be freakin' kidding me…" I moaned, "This is just-" I was cut off by a knocking on my driver-side window. A female cop was staring at me as I rolled down the window.

"Wanna explain to me how exactly it is you got this car…?" She asked as she violently chewed a piece of gum. "Well?" she immediately followed her original question with, giving me no time to answer.

"I… I-I uh… Well you see…" I stammered being completely thrown off by her urgency.

"Were you already in the car when this whole mess started? Hmm?" She pulled down her aviators and got way too close for comfort. "This is private property, belonging to the YSPD. You are trespassing and stealing. Now give me one good reason why I shouldn't turn you in…"

I looked at her and my eyes narrowed. At first she was just annoying but now I was getting legitimately ticked off. "You're worried about some stupid police car, when there are hundreds of people being helplessly slaughtered?" Her expression slowly became less stern as I continued. "You actually care more about some stupid rule than the lives of innocent citizens?"

"I… I…" She stuttered momentarily and then it happened.

She broke down.

"I'm sorry… I don't know what I'm doing!" she yelled as she cried, "I just joined the force yesterday and was posted here when the outbreak began! I'm a screw up! I should have listened to mom when she was talking about those magazines Daddy loves so much… I just never thought…"

"Hey, hey… Easy…" I replied softly, cutting off her sob-story. "I just meant that you need to try and be more focused… That's all…"

"Ca-Can I g-go with you…?" She asked still breathing hard and wiping her face.

"What?" I asked thinking I misheard her.

"I don't like it here... The zombies. They're really scary and you seem tough. I think you could protect me…"

"I guess you can?" I was a bit shocked. I thought for sure I'd have to get out of here alone. I'd never thought about having some company. And now that the opportunity presented itself, the thought sounded kind of nice. "Yeah, I'll protect you. Just hop in." I told her nonchalantly.

"Yay!" She screamed in a tone that seemed a bit too happy for an apocalyptic scenario.

"I really hope I don't regret this…" I whispered to myself as I started the car back up and went back to pressing through the traffic.


End file.
